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The Netherlands Honors Lenbrook Resident for Heroism During WWII

November 17, 2021

First Sergeant and Assistant Platoon Leader LaVelle Beene was a soldier of the US Army’s 104th Infantry Division, known as the Timberwolves, an outfit that preferred fighting at night. He endured 195 straight days of combat in Europe during World War II, mostly in the Netherlands, and was one of only ten members of his company of 160 men to survive.

On Veterans Day 2021, an official delegation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, including Mr. Ard van der Vorst, Consul General of the Netherlands in Atlanta and Colonel Paul Elverding, Military Attaché at the Netherlands Embassy in Washington, DC, presented the family of Mr. Beene with a posthumous award, recognizing Mr. Beene’s heroism and leadership. His nephew, Mark Berry, accepted the award on his behalf.

Mr. Beene, a 19-year resident of Lenbrook, Atlanta’s premier senior living community, only recently passed away at age 99. He was seen as a true Lenbrook treasure. After his time in the US Army (1943-1946), Mr. Beene served as a Presbyterian minister and as Vice President of Marketing for the Ministers Insurance Company.

Currently, ten other WWII Veterans reside in Lenbrook, as well as several Veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and many of them were present at the solemn Veterans Day commemoration.

“All of us at Lenbrook are truly proud of and thankful for our residents and associates who have served in the armed forces,” said Chris Keysor, President and CEO of Lenbrook. “This official recognition of Mr. Beene celebrates his magnificent efforts in the Netherlands – while in a way, it honors all of our Veterans and their families.”

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